Pub GuideThe High Kings Are Steppin' Out By Debbie McGoldrick Celtic Woman took the world by storm whe
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The High Kings Are Steppin' Out
Celtic Woman took the world by storm when they debuted in 2004, topping the charts and touring to standing-room-only audiences. Now it's the boys' turn.
Meet the High Kings, a quartet of ultra-talented Irish musicians who hope to match the smashing success of their corporate sisters. The group was created last year by Celtic Woman's producer Dave Kavanagh and composer/musical director David Downes, and a major rollout is already underway in the U.S., with the group's maiden DVD scheduled for heavy PBS airplay during March, and a national tour to follow in April. (Their self-titled CD was released by EMI, Celtic Woman's recording home, in February.)
The members of the High Kings - Darren Holden, Brian Dunphy, Martin Furey (a son of the famous Irish singer Finbarr) and Finbarr Clancy (a scion of the renowned Clancy Brothers) - bring a diverse array of musical styles to the table. But the group is going back to basics, as it aims to freshen up the classic Irish standards and introduce them to a new audience.
Holden, a Co. Kilkenny native well known to Americans, particularly Billy Joel fans, for his years playing the Piano Man in Joel's stage show Movin' Out both on Broadway and on national tour, was approached about participating in the group last year and said yes on the spot, even though he and his young family had made plans to move to New York full time so Holden could further pursue his career.
"The Wild Rover" is a long way from Joel classics such as "Big Shot," but Holden was more than ready to take the leap, especially as he was starting to write his own songs that marked a return to his Irish roots. The opportunity to be part of a group for the first time in his career was also too good to pass up.
"The producers said they were looking to put a new group together based on the Clancys and the Dubliners. They wanted to bring the old Irish songs back into the forefront, making them hip and cool with four young-ish guys who could sing and play and write," said Holden.
